Turning Risk into Readiness: DOST 7 Brings Handa Pilipinas to Cebu City

Cebu City, Philippines – The recent eruption of Mt. Canlaon in Negros Oriental and the disasters experienced in the Visayas has underscored the urgent need for effective disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) strategies. This makes the upcoming Handa Pilipinas Visayas Leg a timely and critical event. Local Government Units (LGUs) and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to voice their specific needs, discuss new innovations in DRRM, and explore strategies for climate resilience during this event.

The DOST 7 will be hosting the Visayas Leg of Handa Pilipinas in Cebu City for the first time. This event, set to take place at Waterfront Hotel on July 24-26, 2024, aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience across the Visayas region.

Handa Pilipinas, conceptualized by DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum and started in 2023, is a national initiative designed to promote GeoriskPH. Led by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), GeoriskPH provides protocols and platforms to share hazard, exposure, and risk information. This initiative is crucial in helping individuals, communities, local governments, and national agencies prepare and plan to mitigate the risks posed by natural hazards.

GeoriskPH offers a comprehensive range of tools and information, including hazard maps, risk assessments, early warning systems, and decision support tools. These resources enable stakeholders to identify areas of vulnerability, assess risks, and make informed decisions to reduce the impact of disasters.

Since its inception, Handa Pilipinas has become an annual event celebrated across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. This year, the Visayas Leg in Cebu City will feature a series of forums addressing various aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM). Topics will include innovative technologies for DRRM, reliable sources of information, combating social media misinformation, key lessons from past disasters in Visayas, DRRM needs of the LGUs and effective communication of hazards, risks, and warnings.

A highlight of the event is the exhibit of DRRM-related technologies of PAGASA, PHIVOLCS, DOST Research and Development Institutes, DOST Councils, and partners from the private sector.

A special segment of the program will be dedicated to media personnel, information officers, and student journalists. This session aims to enhance their understanding of disaster warnings, ensuring accurate reporting and effective dissemination of critical information, which is especially vital in the age of social media.

The DOST 7 invites all stakeholders to participate in this event to enhance disaster preparedness and resilience in the Visayas region.